THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2023 Page 17 WHO KNEW? Massachusetts named #1 state to live in by national pollster According to WalletHub, our state leads nation in Public Schools System, College Education, Health, Most Insured By Steve Freker T here is a lot to like about living in Massachusetts. Living here in the Advocate readership area of Everett, Malden, Revere and Saugus, we can all agree with that statement. Apparently, it can also be said that we are not alone in that presumption. Massachusetts has topped the list of WalletHub’s best states to live in this year, according to a recent report by the well-known ranking site. Who knew? Massachusetts was ranked #1 in the nation in categories such as “Education and Health” and “Most Insured” as well as achieving WalletHub high ratings in “Quality of Life” and “Safety,” where it earned a sixth place spot nationally among all states. Massachusetts did receive some lower ratings in certain individual categories – ranked just 44th out of 50 in overall “Aff ordability.” Housing costs via rent or property taxes and private home maintenance costs factored largely into this category. Massachusetts was ranked fi rst, slightly ahead of #2 New Jersey, which had the number one spot in the category of “Safety.” Massachusetts and New Jersey fi nished a hair apart at 61.67 (Mass.) to 61.48 (N.J.) on WalletHub’s 100-point scale. Following Massachusetts and New Jersey at #1-2, are #3 New Hampshire, #4 New York and #5 Wyoming. At the bottom of the list are 46th Oklahoma, 47th TOP PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM in the U.S.: WalletHub ranked the Massachusetts public schools #1 in the nation as part of its “Education and Health” category. (Advocate Photo) Mississippi, 48th Louisiana, 48th Alaska and 50th... and last...New Mexico. As for the New England states, New Hampshire checked in at second on the list, while Maine ranked 12th, Vermont ranked 17th, Connecticut ranked 26th and Rhode Island ranked 29th. According to information on its website, www.wallethub.com, the WalletHub researchers conducted the 50-state comparison using fi ve categories: Aff ordability, Economy, Education and Health, Quality of Life, and Safety. In the Education and Health category, WalletHub looked at Join the Polymnia Choral Society! D o you enjoy singing and meeting fun people? The Polymnia Choral Society is looking for singers of all skill levels. For over 70 years, Polymnia has been entertaining audiences with performances that include pieces from a wide variety of musical styles – classical, pop, musical theater and more. Come join a community of over 60 members who love to sing and have fun. Polymnia welcomes participants from all over Massachusetts. Currently, it has members from Melrose, Malden, Wakefi eld, Stoneham and Saugus. The Polymnia concert season runs from September until June each year. It’s easy to join! Polymnia meets every Tuesday starting September 5, 2023, at Melrose Highlands Congregational Church (355 Franklin St, Melrose, Mass.) from 7 p.m.-9 pm. Just come to any rehearsal and introduce yourself to music librarian Pam, President Steve or Vice President David. This December, Polymnia will be performing a holiday concert that promises to be fi lled with fun, holiday-themed selections and familiar carols. Come join in singing these fun songs that all audiences can enjoy! For more information about Polymnia and its upcoming season and how to join Polymnia, visit www.polymnia.org or call Polymnia Board of Directors President Steve Francis at 617633-5006. Mark your calendars! Polymnia will be performing A Seriously Fun Holiday Concert on Saturday, December 2, 2023, beginning at 7:30 p.m., the location of the concert to be announced. the quality of the public school system, the high school graduation rate, the life expectancy and the share of obese and physically inactive adults. The Quality of Life category looked at traffic congestion, average hours worked per week, access to beaches, movie theaters, museums and fi tness centers, and above all, quality of its weather. Safety was measured using the violent crime rate, property crime rate, traffi c-related fatalities and the total law enforcement employees per capita. The Economy category looked at the median debt per median earnings, population growth, income growth, the unemployment rate and the wealth gap. Where Massachusetts did get its lowest rating compared to other states was “AffordabiliWELCOME to #1 MASSACHUSETTS: WalletHub.com ranked Massachusetts #1 in the nation in its “Best States to Live In” category. (Courtesy Photo) ty,” which was measured by assessing the following: housing affordability, annual property taxes, cost of living, homeownership rate and median annual household income. Here are some various living conditions in Massachusetts where it was ranked according to the WalletHub report: 1st 2nd in Fair of Poor Health 5th 8th Living in Poverty 10th 13th – Insured Population –Fewest Number of Adults – Avg. Weekly Work Hours – Percentage of Population – Restaurants Per Capita – Income Growth
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